James River Corporation of Virginia

Dixie Consumer Products LLC

Robert J Linnander

Jonathan E Rush

Gerald John Van Handel

Anthony J Swiontek

Margaret P Hoks

Donald B Campbell

Disposable serving bowl and lid

A disposable cup lid has intersecting straw insertion slits and rip-stop end cuts located transversely to and spaced from the ends of the straw insertion slits. In a preferred embodiment, the rip-stop end cuts are stamped lines of weakness or perforations, located perpendicularly to, and between about 1/32 and 1/16 inch beyond, the ends of the straw insertion slits. In another preferred embodiment, the end cuts are portions of the arc of a circle with a diameter slightly larger than the length of the straw insertion slits. The rip-stop end cuts, together with the straw insertion slits, define frangible reinforcing webs connecting wedge-shaped lid portions defined by the straw insertion slits. The webs strengthen the cup during shipment, during mounting on the cup, and during transportation of the filled cup prior to insertion of the straw. The webs are broken by insertion of the straw, resulting in a structure that effectively prevents the force of straw insertion from tearing the top surface of the lid.

Disposable cup lid having a tear-resistant straw slot

Growing community of inventors

Nazareth, PA, United States of America

Robert J Linnander